The Vatican Information Service is a news service, founded in the Holy See Press Office, that provides information about the Magisterium and the pastoral activities of the Holy Father and the Roman Curia...[+]

- Appointed Msgr. Charles Daniel Balvo, counsellor to the apostolic nunciature in Lithuania, as apostolic nuncio to New Zealand, Fiji Islands, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa, Vanuatu, Tonga, Nauru, Kiribati, Palau, Cook Islands and apostolic delegate to the Pacific Ocean, at the same time raising him to the dignity of archbishop. The archbishop-elect was born in New York, U.S.A., in 1951 and ordained a priest in 1976.

- Appointed Bishop Leopoldo Jose Brenes Solorzano of Matagalpa, Nicaragua, as metropolitan archbishop of Managua (area 5,312, population 2,386,500, Catholics 1,807,300, priests 147, religious 636), Nicaragua. The archbishop-elect was born in Ticuantepe, Nicaragua, in 1949, he was ordained a priest in 1974 and consecrated a bishop in 1988. He succeeds Cardinal Miguel Obando Bravo S.D.B., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Resistencia, Argentina, presented by Archbishop Carmelo Juan Giaquinta, in accordance with Canon 401, para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

- On 22 March 2005, he erected the current "sui iuris" mission of Uzbekistan as an apostolic administration, appointing Fr. Jerzy Maculewicz O.F.M. Conv., assistant general for the Order of Friars Minor Conventuals for Eastern Europe, as apostolic administrator of the new circumscription, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of bishop. The bishop-elect was born in Daszew, Ukraine, in 1955 and ordained a priest in 1996.

- On 23 March 2005, he appointed Msgr. Philippe Jourdan, vicar general of the apostolic administration for Estonia, as apostolic administrator of the same circumscription, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of bishop.NEC:NA/.../... VIS 20050401 (410)

VATICAN CITY, APR 1, 2005 (VIS) - Pope John Paul's general prayer intention for the month of April is: "That Christians may live their Sundays more truly as days of the Lord dedicated in a special way to God and their neighbor."

His mission intention is: "That every Christian community should have a burning zeal for holiness, so as to kindle many missionary vocations."JPII-PRAYER INTENTIONS/APRIL/... VIS 20050401 (70)

VATICAN CITY, APR 1, 2005 (VIS) - Last evening at 7:20, Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following statement about the death in the United States of Terry Schiavo, the Florida women who had been in a so-called persistent vegetative state for 15 years:

"The circumstances surrounding the death of Mrs. Terry Schiavo have rightly upset consciences. A life was interrupted. Death was arbitrarily anticipated, because feeding a person can never be considered as drastic therapy.

"There is no doubt that there can be no exceptions to the principle of the sacredness of life, from conception to its natural end. In addition to being a principle of Christian ethics, this has also been a principle of human civilization.

"It is to be hoped that, because of this dramatic experience, a greater awareness of human dignity will mature in public opinion and that this will lead to greater defense of life, even on a legal level."OP/DEATH SCHIAVO/NAVARRO-VALLS VIS 20050401 (170)

VATICAN CITY, APR 1, 2005 (VIS) - Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general of His Holiness for the diocese of Rome and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, said in a communique today that, "Due to the worsening condition of the Holy Father, I invite all Romans and all Italians to intensify their prayers for him. We wish to be near him in this hour with that same loving closeness with which John Paul II has accompanied for us these nearly 27 years.

"This evening at 7, we will celebrate Mass for the Pope in St. John Lateran Basilica. I ask all parish communities, all religious in Rome to pray for the Holy Father, in churches and in individual families.".../MASS:POPE:DIOCESE ROME/RUINI VIS 20050401 (140)

"The Holy Father's wish to remain in his private apartments was respected, where in any case complete and efficient health care can be guaranteed.

"Late yesterday afternoon, the clinical situation stabilized temporarily, but in later hours it developed negatively.

"The situation of the Holy Father is being monitored and watched.

"The Holy Father is conscious, lucid and serene. Yesterday at 7.17 p.m. he received the Viaticum.

"At 6 a.m. today he concelebrated Mass.

"The Cardinal Secretary of State and the Holy Father's closest collaborators, united with him in prayer, are following the development of the clinical condition of His Holiness.

"The Pope is being assisted by his personal physician Dr. Renato Buzzonetti, by two specialists in reanimation, by a cardiologist, by an otorhinolaryngologist, and by two nurses."

At the start of his press briefing today at 12:30 p.m., Navarro-Valls repeated the previous two bulletins on the Pope's health, adding some new details and answering only a couple of questions. He did announce, however, that the Holy See Press Office would remain open throughout the night.

He said that, "from the very first moment, the Holy Father was informed of the seriousness of the situation and decided to remain in his own apartment in the Vatican where, furthermore, complete and competent medical assistance is guaranteed. Late yesterday afternoon there was a temporary stabilization of his condition which then, in successive hours, evolved negatively.

"The Holy Father's situation is carefully monitored. The Holy Father is conscious. At 7:17 last evening he received holy Viaticum. At 6 this morning he wished to concelebrate Mass, naturally from his bed. The Pope, as you know, is assisted by his personal physician, Dr. Renato Buzzonetti, by two specialists in reanimation, by a cardiologist, by an otorhinolaryngologist, and by two nurses.

Navarro-Valls, himself a medical doctor, repeated that "the Pope is always conscious. This morning at 6 he celebrated Mass. About 7:15, realizing that today is Friday, a day in which he traditionally follows the Stations of the Cross, he asked that the 14 stations be read to him. He followed attentively the reading of the texts and made the sign of the cross at every station.

"After finishing the stations, he said he wished to recite the Liturgy of Hours and asked specifically that the Third Hour be read to him.

"I saw that this morning he received several of his collaborators: Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of State; Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, substitute for General Affairs, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the dean of the College of Cardinals, Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, secretary for Relations with States, and Archbishop Paolo Sardi, vice chamberlain (camerlengo ).

"The situation now is stationary. The conditions of notable seriousness remain.

"The biological parameters are unsettled. His blood pressure is unstable.

"The Pope continues to remain lucid, fully aware and, I must say, very serene.

"Several minutes ago he asked that some passages from Sacred Scriptures be read to him, and he attentively following this reading."

Responding to a journalist's question, Navarro-Valls said that "the Holy Father, when informed of the reality of the situation, asked if it was strictly necessary to return to the hospital and he was assured that complete medical care could be guaranteed in the Vatican."

Asked about his own personal reaction to events, Navarro-Valls said he was sure "there is no interest in my feelings at this time. However, this is an image that you have never seen here," adding: "The Pope is lucid and extraordinarily serene."OP/POPE:HEALTH/NAVARRO-VALLS VIS 20050401 (720)